Everyone talks about how to apply, how to nail the interview and how to land the dream internship, but what happens next?

During my internship, I met amazing people and made new friends, all while honing my digital communication skills.

Photo by: Amelia Neumeister

I was the social media intern for a study-abroad organization based in Belize this summer. Because the internship was based out of a small town in a small community, I lived and breathed my internship 24/7 for five weeks. I quite literally became part of the organization’s family. I was the only person in the organization dedicated to running social media for those five weeks. I got to experience so many amazing and unique things while learning in a foreign country. When I got home, I didn’t know what to do with what I had just experienced, which led me to my initial question.

What happens when the internship is over?

You either continue working for the organization or company, leave the internship knowing you gained relevant experience and have references for future opportunities, or leave having gained nothing but real-world experience. No matter the outcome of the internship, there is a road that will lead to your next experience.

Determining what path to take after an internship is up to the individual, and there are many paths a person could choose. After the internship it’s always a good idea to submit an internship evaluation. This evaluation will let the organization know how to support future interns.

If you want to stay in touch and continue working with the company, you can offer to finish any projects you started during your internship. This initiative will show you care about the time you spent with your co-workers and are motivated enough to take charge and ask for tasks.

It’s never a bad idea to write a thank-you note to your management. A thank-you note shows you valued the organization and the people you worked with. If you do choose to write thank-you notes, they should be handwritten (never the mass-produced ones with a generic note inside) and sent to the people directly in charge of you, and even upper-level management if you wish. Doing something as simple as sending a note leaves the organization with a positive impression of you and can help you continue a relationship with the organization.

Finally, if you loved the experience, apply again! You already have experience from your previous time with the organization, so you may be given more responsibility if chosen for another internship.